Ouleye Ndoye of Ministry of Motherhood Hosts Human Trafficking Online Meetup on Monday!

Hello World,

Protecting our most valuable and vulnerable population, our children, is of paramount importance to me, which is why I want to tell you about an important online meetup hosted by Ouleye Ndoye of Ministry of Motherhood. Below are her words…

Our children are now spending more time on the internet than ever before, due to COVID-19 induced “Virtual Learning” across the country. Human Traffickers use the internet to groom and recruit victims in many ways.

Join me tomorrow, Monday, September 28, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. for a candid conversation with Homeland Security Investigations’ Alia El-Sawi as we learn from her important work in victim assistance.

We will share our expertise on human trafficking prevention, rehabilitation, and talk about what each of us can do from home to keep our families, neighbors and loved ones safe.

To register, click HERE.

Below is more information about Ministry of Motherhood, which was created by Ouleye Ndoye, who, most recently, served as the inaugural Senior Human Trafficking Fellow for the city of Atlanta as part of Mayor Bottoms’ executive team.

The Ministry of Motherhood began in 2017 when I was a new mom. I was often in church and something about having a small baby on my hip and lap at all times led me to have conversations with other new and expecting moms. I realized that these conversations all had a similar thread, despite these women coming from different circumstances. They were seeking answers to similar questions. Questions I was also grappling with. We all needed a community. So, I started hosting small MoM Meetups at a nearby restaurant. Over time this group grew into a Ministry of Moms that included friends from the church and all walks of my life, stretching as far back as friends I’d known before college!

Hello! My name is Ouleye. I am a mother of two. My first birth was in a hospital and my second was at the Birth Center. These very different experiences led me to hours of research into the existing systems of maternal health in the United States and their history. In many ways, my birth experiences and the months thereafter ignited my passion for this work in maternal health.

My career has been devoted to promoting the health and human rights of women and children for over a decade. Becoming a mother deepened my passion for supporting women and their babies throughout the journey of pregnancy and the early months and years of parenting. The calling to do more for the collective wellness of mothers led me to found the MoMs Ministry at my church. Around the same time, I began my training to become a Doula with DONA International.

I am deeply committed to improving the maternal and postpartum health outcomes of women of color. We are 3-4x more likely to die due to complications around pregnancy and childbirth! I am also passionate about advocating for more humane maternity leave policies that truly support the mother-baby-bonding period.

For more information, go to ministryofmotherhood.us.

Any thoughts?

‘I Just Wanna Live’ 13-Year-Old Singer Keedron Bryant Releases EP!

Hello World,

It’s been a little while since I’ve blogged and even during a pandemic, life continues to go on. There are many things that I could have written about and may still write about such as the devastating loss of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman but I had to take a break as we all must do from time to time. But I’m back…slowly easing myself in… so give me grace, y’all…

When I first heard this young man sing, I knew it would be only a matter of time before this happened…See this story from the New York Post

Like many young students, 13-year-old Keedron Bryant is now navigating virtual learning as he goes back to school.

But this eighth-grader from Jacksonville, Fla., is also a viral sensation who’s dropping his debut EP, “I Just Wanna Live,” on Friday.

Bryant landed a record deal after he posted a smartphone-shot video of himself performing his song “I Just Wanna Live” a cappella. Posted on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May, the clip became a rally cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I never thought it was gonna go viral,” said Bryant, who was a contestant on NBC’s “Little Big Shots” last season. “But it was really sad that I had to sing those type of words. There were a lot of emotions going on in my mind at the time I was singing it . . . I asked God to give me power and strength and anointing to deliver the message right.”

Read the rest HERE.

Check out the official music video for “I Just Wanna Live!”

And here is a listing of the songs on the EP:


And finally below is the teenager sharing about how to get his new EP!

Congratulations to him! May he always use his talent in service of the Lord!

Any thoughts?

Stephanie Summers Crowned Winner of BET’s ‘Sunday Best’ Season 10!

Hello World,

America’s most inspirational singing competition BET’s “Sunday Best” has announced it’s Season 10 Winner – Stephanie Summers (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Summers will receive a recording contract with RCA Inspiration, a prize of $50,000, an opportunity to be a featured performer on the McDonald’s Inspiration Gospel Tour and the title “Sunday Best.”

A veteran in the gospel music scene, Stephanie Summers has opened up for legends like Pastor John P. Kee, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and others. Her gospel career was derailed following the death of her best friend and father.  After a short period of becoming homeless, she has once again found her footing and is ready to return to the gospel scene and prove that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.  Today, she is living with her children in Colorado Springs.

The Clark Sisters

The season 10 finale episode featured original performances by show judge Jonathan McReynolds feat. Mali Music with “Movin’ On;” show judge Erica Campbell with “You;” The Clark Sisters with “Victory;” Kierra Sheard with “It Keeps Happening” and Season 9 Winner Melvin Crispell III with a rendition of “What’s Going On?”

Twinkie Clark

Le’Andria Johnson

Gospel music great Dorinda Clark Cole and Sunday Best Season 3 Winner Le’Andria Johnson made special appearances during contestant mentoring moments.

Kirk Franklin

Season 10 premiered July 5th from Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, GA with a live audience and band, before transitioning to a virtual telecast in light of COVID-19. GRAMMY®-winning music legend Kirk Franklin served as host; and GRAMMY® winning songstress & host of “Get Up Mornings,” Erica Campbell, GRAMMY® nominated artist & star of BET’s “American Soul” Kelly Price and GRAMMY® nominated & multiple Stellar award-winning artist Jonathan McReynolds returned as judges. Season 10 auditions were previously held earlier this year in Atlanta, Georgia at The House of Hope.

Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment (BET Awards, “The New Edition Story”),  and Dionne Harmon (“The Bobby Brown Story,” “Hip Hop Squares”) serve as executive producers of season ten of “Sunday Best” along with executive producer and showrunner Jeannae Rouzan-Clay (“Dear Mama,” “Black Girls Rock!”), and Torrence Glenn (“Celebration Of Gospel,” “Trumpet Awards”) is co-executive producer.

For updates and more information about “Sunday Best,” please visit BET.com/SundayBest. Join the conversation on social media by logging onto social media platforms using the hashtag: #BETSundayBest.

Any thoughts?